Main Ingredients:

See below ingredients and instructions of the recipe

Cooking Preparation of the Recipe:

3 qt Boiling salted water
2/3 c Rice
1 lg Cucumber; peeled, seeded and
-coarsely chopped
1/4 ts Salt
2 Hard-cooked eggs; coarsely
-chopped
2 tb Butter
1/2 c Onions; finely chopped
1/2 c Parsley; finely chopped
1/4 c Chives; finely chopped
1 tb Salt
1/8 ts White pepper
1 tb Heavy cream (to 3 tb)
8 tb Butter (a 1/4-lb stick)
6 tb Dry bread crumbs
3 lb Pike; cleaned and scaled *
1/2 c Boiling water

* Remove backbone but leave head and tail on fish. May substitute
mackerel or sea bass. Cook the rice uncovered in 3 quarts
boiling, salted water for about 12 minutes or until it is still
slightly firm. Drain in a large colander and set aside to cool. In a
small bowl, toss the chopped cucumber with 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Let
it sit for at least 15 minutes, then drain and pat dry with paper
towels. In a small saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter and cook
onions and cucumbers 6 to 8 minutes until soft and transparent but
not brown. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and add chopped eggs,
cooked rice, parsley and chives. Season with salt and pepper and
moisten with a tablespoon of heavy cream, adding more if the stuffing
seems too dry. Mix together lightly but thoroughly. Wash the fish
inside and out under cold running water and dry thoroughly. Fill the
fish with the cucumber-rice stuffing, close the opening with small
skewers and crisscross kitchen string around the skewers as you would
lace a turkey. Preheat oven to 350øF. In a baking dish or roasting
pan attractive enough to bring to the table and large enough to hold
the fish, melt 1/4 lb butter over moderate heat. When the foam
subsides, place the fish in the baking dish, raise the heat and cook
for about 5 minutes until it is golden brown. Carefully turn over the
fish and brown the other side. Sprinkle top with half of the bread
crumbs and then turn the fish over again and sprinkle the other side
with the remaining bread crumbs. Pour 1/2 cup boiling water around
the fish and bring it to a simmer on top of the stove. Bake uncovered
in the middle of the oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until fish feels
firm when pressed lightly with a finger. Serve directly from baking
dish. Note: In Finland, 1 cup of finely chopped spinach, squeezed
dry, is often substituted for the cucumber in the stuffing.

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